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Why Is Road Dust Bad?

Posted on
24 September 2015

If you maintain an unpaved road, then you've probably had to deal with the pervasive problem of dust. Even if you weren't aware of the problems caused by road dust, you have probably felt their negative effects. In order to understand why you might want to consider a solution such as dust compaction, here are some of those problems dust causes:

What is road dust and why is it a problem?

Asphalt roads have their own set of problems, but road dust is generally limited to unpaved roads. When unpaved roads are used, cars and other vehicles will kick up some of the road material. Some particulates are small and light enough that they will persist in the air as dust for a limited time. This dust can cause quite a few more problems than you might imagine.

First of all, road dust creates a visibility hazard on the road. If you are driving directly behind another vehicle, this can become incredibly obvious. However, road dust can persist for a long time after a vehicle drove by. This means that you could be driving on a dirt road, without another vehicle as far as the eye can see, yet the air will still be hazy and full of dust.

Second, dust particulates will stay in the atmosphere for a very long time, long after they leave the immediate area of the road. In turn, this increases atmospheric pollution.

Third, some dust particulates will eventually settle in the surrounding area. This isn't a huge problem when the dust settles on unused land nearby, but it will pose a problem if it settles back on roads. It is extremely easy to kick up this loose, recently-settled dust when driving over roads. Even if this dust lands on a paved road, cars can still kick it back up with ease. The worst-case scenario is when this dust lands on farmland or nearby water sources. This can drastically reduce the fertility of soil, thereby reducing crop output. If it lands in water, then the water can become silty and will require much more filtration to reach a pure state.

Fourth, when cars kick up dust, it can directly cause damage to their undercarriages. Large particulates can erode the metal components and clog up important airways.

Finally, dust can cause problems for nearby homes. More dust means lower air quality, which can be a huge problem for people in the immediate area. If there is dust outside, you will either need to seal your home or run HVAC systems more often to compensate.